• Sound of Belfast 2018 Programme Launched

    October 5, 2018 - By 

    The programme for this year’s Sound of Belfast has been launched. The festival will return across November 8-15, and venues Limelight 2, The Empire, The Sunflower Bar, Voodoo, Black Box, Accidental Theatre, Ulster Hall, and 39 Gordon Street will host a diverse range of events. Among the highlights are a tribute event to the late jazz and blues musician Jackie Flavelle from artists including Ciaran Lavery, Suzanne Savage; the Northern Ireland Music Prize; a fundraiser for mental health charity AWARENI with acts such as Hot Cops, Catalan and Malojian; the return of the Native Mart; and a special youth takeover at the…

  • Robyn G Shiels Announces Death of the Shadows EP

    October 4, 2018 - By 

    Belfast-based doom-folk master Robyn G Shiels has announced details of a new EP, Death of the Shadows. The highly-anticipated follow-up to Shiels’ NI Music Prize-winning album, The Blood of the Innocents, the release features five tracks produced by long-time R.G. collaborator Ben McAuley. Released via his own Black Tragick imprint on November 30, each track on the EP has also received an exclusive remix courtesy of some of the North’s finest acts: Therapy?, Robocobra Quartet, Documenta, Arvo Party and exmagician. Pre-order the album below here (those that do so get a free copy of Shiels’ debut album, A Lifetime of Midnights, and a…

  • Album Stream: Arvo Party – II

    October 3, 2018 - By 

    When Belfast musician and producer Herb Magee AKA Arvo Party unveiled his self-titled debut album last July, we quickly learnt that we were dealing with something pretty special. Having previously established himself as a formidable one-fourth of erstwhile Belfast alt-rock heroes LaFaro, and later with GOONS, it made for a feature-length curveball from a musician who has seemingly, and rather quietly, mastered a whole different palette of sound. The dancefloor nocturnalism of ‘Grube’ hit home hard. The widescreen ambience of ‘Thirty Five’ was a spectral tidal of ambience on mute. ‘Null Set’, meanwhile, proved an unravelling eight-minute centrepiece, and a track that continues to…

  • Watch: Gnarkats – War Cry

    September 27, 2018 - By 

    Recorded with The Answer guitarist Paul Mahon, ‘War Cry’ is a statement of intent from Belfast trio Louis Nelson, Jordan Evans and Stuart Robinson AKA Gnarkats. Having already revealed their knack for blending heavy rock riffs with indie-pop melodies via previous effort including ‘Something to Say’ and ‘Enigma’, their new single shows a band whose huge choruses and fuzzed-out tangents are quickly setting them apart. Check out the band’s DIY video for the single below.

  • Video Premiere: Bróna Keogh – Sea Witch

    September 26, 2018 - By 

    After a busy year of writing and performing, supporting the likes of David Kitt, I Draw Slow & Wyvern Lingo, singer-songwriter Bróna Keogh’s new single ‘Sea Witch’ has arrived. With a vibrant video by Ed Cleary that accentuates the organic quality of her writing, Keogh melds folk with the hopeful wist of 60s pop, measured in its use of diverse acoustic instrumentation and harmony. It was recorded by Michael Hogerzeil & mastered by Eoin Whitfiled. As with the many Irish music festivals she’ll win hearts and weary minds at, ‘Sea Witch’ possesses the ability to restore basic human functions and feelings…

  • Built To Spill Announce Dublin Return

    September 26, 2018 - By 

    Idaho indie rock heroes and TTA favourites Built To Spill will make their long-awaited return to Dublin next year. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Doug Martsch-fronted band’s fourth studio album, Keep It Like a Secret, the band will play Workman’s Club on Sunday, April 28th. The band last played Dublin back in 2010. Tickets for the show are priced at €21 and go on sale this Friday, September 28th. Revisit our Monday Mixtape with Doug Martsch here.

  • The Cure Set For Dublin Return

    September 24, 2018 - By 

    Fancy an alternative to Metallica and co. at Slane on June 8 next year? You’re in luck: legendary English band The Cure have posted on Twitter to say that they’ll return to play Dublin on the exact same date. Aside from Oxegen 2004, the Robert Smith-fronted band last played the city in 1996. Venue and ticket price is to be confirmed.

  • Stream: Hiva Oa – Souvenir

    September 25, 2018 - By 

    Blending electronic complexity with their unique strand of primal noise, one of Belfast’s most engaging live & recorded propositions over the last three years, Hiva Oa, have released new single ‘Souvenir’. It’s experimental, but far from inaccessible. Anchored by its bassline, driven by a Detroit hi-hat-led narrative, its crepuscular groove is that of someone dancing in isolation in a long-abandoned post-industrial dystopia, reluctantly alone. With cover art by Helen Tubridy, the trio – Stephen Houlihan, Christine Tubridy & Chris McCorry, with help from Edinburgh’s Matthew Collings and Daithi McNabb –  mangle fragmented guitar & synthesised textures with borderline glossolalic vocals on the track, contrasting space and claustrophobia – as is…

  • Metallica Confirmed for Slane 2019

    September 24, 2018 - By 

    It’s been confirmed that Metallica will headline Slane next year. As part of their WorldWired Tour, the L.A. metal titans will top the bill for the iconic Co. Meath concert series on June 8, 2019. With more acts to be announced, Ghost and Bokassa will support. The show will mark the James Hetfield-fronted band’s return to Ireland, having last played Dublin in 2009 and Belfast in 2010. Go here for pre-sale information. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10am.